Indeed, the Vikingsare comparable to the Redskins, who twice beat the Eagles this season and forced them to rely on the unlikely sequence of events that unfolded a week ago today. Minnesota also beat the NFC's top two seeds the New York Giants and Carolina inside the Metrodome this season and finished 6-2 on its home field.
Like the Redskins, the Vikings have a strong defense and an offense that relies heavily on the run. The Redskins finished the season as the NFL's 19th-ranked offense, but eighth in rushing. The Vikings finished 17th, but fifth in rushing, thanks to Adrian Peterson, the league's leading rusher.
Washington was eighth in the NFL in yards allowed on defense; Minnesota finished sixth, thanks in large part to the large men Kevin Williams and Pat Williams -- who play defensive tackle for them. No team in the league is tougher to run against than the Vikings.
The Eagles obviously don't want a repeat of what happened at FedEx Field, so what's the best way to prevent that infamous afternoon from repeating itself?
"I don't think there was a letdown when we played the Redskins," Buckhalter said. "People on the outside just automatically thought we were going to win that game, but it doesn't work that way in the NFL. We just didn't play good. It's as simple as that. You can't look for excuses."
If you examine the Eagles' 9-6-1 season, the formula for victory was often the same.
Offensively, it's imperative for the Eagles to get off to a quick start. That doesn't necessarily mean they have to score a touchdown or even kick a field goal on their first possession. It's a matter of showing that they can move the football in the first half.
